Switching-selecting device



Dec. 26, 1967 c. VAZQUEZ 3,360,626

SWITCHING-SELECTING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 26, 1967 c. VAZQUEZ I SWiTCHING-SELECTING DEVICE Filed June 29, 19 65 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofi ice 3,360,626 SWITCHING-SELECTING DEVICE Charles Vazquez, Paris, France, assignor to International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 29, 1965, Ser. No. 468,071 Claims priority, application France, July 2, 1964, 980,444, Patent 1,408,337 17 Claims. (Cl. 200-153) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A crossbar switch has a coordinate array of coiled finger spring contact elements, each having one end fixed and the other end free to move. The mechanical actuator for selectively moving each coiled spring contact element includes a selection bow for pushing the finger spring into a captured position on the other, or connection bar, member. The connection bar member is then actuated to pull the captured finger spring against a stationary contact where it is held in place between pincers-like jaws formed by cooperation of the connection bar member and the stationary contact. When the connection bar is released, the incers-like jaws open to release the coiled finger spring.

This invention relates to switching and selecting devices of an electromechanical nature and particularly to improvements in crossbar electromechanical switching units.

Use is made, for the selection and switching of electric circuits in automatic telephone systems, of crossbar electromechanical switching units; each operation of the latter bringing into function a selection bar, a connection bar, a middle piece or selecting finger, a set of mobile contact springs rendered mechanically integral one with the other by an insulating guide, and a set of fixed contacts. To accomplish the connection of a set of mobile contact springs with a set of fixed contacts, a selection bar is operated first, this operation having the effect of placing the as sociated selecting fingers into a position facing the insulating guides of the sets of mobile contact springs from the corresponding level. The operation of a connection bar then, at the crossing of both bars, drives the mobile contact springs onto the fixed contacts with which they get into contact. This shifting is due to setting into position the selecting fingers, by the selection bar, between the connection bar and the insulating guide of the selected set of springs.

A primary purpose of the present invention is to design a switching-selecting device not necessitating any middle piece for the establishing of a connection between a set of mobile contacts and a set of fixed contacts. To accomplish this purpose the present invention puts to profitable use the elastic deformation possibilities of mobile contact springs constituted as is described in United States patent application, Ser. No. 457,028, filed on May 19, 1965 and since abandoned in favor of a now pending continuation application Ser. No. 626,579, filed on Mar. 28, 1967 in the name of Charles Vazquez and entitled, Contact Elements. Each one of these contact elements, fixed by one of its ends, possesses identical elastic constants in all directions along planes passing through its longitudinal axis.

3,360,526 Pat-tented Dec. 26, 1967 One of the features of the invention concerns a switching-selecting device constituted by the combination of two mobile control pieces, of one or several elastic mobile contact elements, and of a corresponding number of fixed contacts. The mobile con-tact elements are placed, when the device is in rest condition, under the dependence of the first piece or selection piece; and are placed, when the said piece is shifted, under the dependence of the second control piece or connection piece; the shifting of the said connection piece having then for effect to drive the said mobile contact elements until they get into contact with the corresponding fixed contacts.

Thus it is seen that, according to the present device, the selection condition is realized by the fiexion of the contact elements into a first direction, the connection being made then by the fiexion of the said elements into another direction. Each contact element will itself contribute to the selection mechanism in contrast to the devices already known in which auxiliary parts are necessary.

The properties of the contact elements used are such that it is possible to give to each mobile control piece of the device any shifting direction, the only necessary condition being that the said pieces should be mobile in two different directions.

Another feature of the invention concerns the shifting of each of the two control pieces of the device as per a motion of translation, the trajectories defined by these two motions can either be orthogonal or may form any angle between them.

According to an alternative, another feature of the invention is to provide the shifting of the first control piece or selection piece according to a motion of translation and the shifting of the second piece or connection piece according to a motion of rotation.

According to another alternative, another feature of the invention is to provide the shifting of the select on piece according to a motion of rotation and the shifting of the connection piece according to a motion of translation.

The selection piece must include as many housings as there are mobile contact elements to control. It is necessary, in order to ensure correct guidance of these contact elements, to provide means for making sure that they obtain a Well determined rest position.

Another feature of the invention concerns the fixing, by one of its ends, of each mobile contact element so that the said contact element forms a certain angle with the perpendicular raised at the fixing point of the said element and in a well determined direction, so that the elasticity of the contact element always urges the said element to rest against a well defined point of its housing inside the selection piece.

It is quite obvious that the connection piece may comprise, upon one of its longitudinal sides, housings such as slots, so that the contact elements, driven by the selection piece, may effectively be placed under its dependence. However, to make up a set of switching-selecting devices in conformity with the present invention, it is necessary to provide means which will facilitate the operation of a selection piece when one or several connection pieces happen to be in operating position.

Another feature of the invention is to provide, inside one of the longitudinal sides of each connection piece and for each contact element, a first notch, on the one hand, meant to receive the contact element to be placed under dependence of the connection piece which is then in rest condition, and, on the other hand, a second notch meant to serve as clearance to the said contact element when the connection piece happens to be already in operating position. The distance between the axes of both notches corresponds to the shifting length of a connection piece, so that, in operating position of said piece, the second notch occupies the same position that the first notch occupied at rest position and the contact element may freely shift when the associated selection piece is operated.

The connection between a mobile contact element and a fixed contact is established and maintained by the connection piece in operating position. Although a slight pressure exerted upon the contact elements by the said connection piece is suffieient mechanical restraint to ensure its holding, it may be useful to provide means for increasing the holding security of those contact elements in their connection position.

According to another feature of the invention, a notch is provided on the fixed contact piece so that in operating position of a connection piece the selected mobile contact element, entered partly into the said notch, will not clear away from its notch in the connection piece.

This notch may advantageously have the form of a V which enables, in addition to its locking function, to obtain a double electric contact between the mobile contact element and the fixed contact piece.

Another feature of the invention is to create, at the side of each notch of a connection piece-against which a contact element restsan inclination towards the inside of the said notch so as to prevent the clearing of the said contact element when the connection piece is in operating position.

Different other features of the invention will become apparent from the description that follows, given by way of non-limiting example, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings comprising FIGS. 1-9 wherein:

FIG. 1 is a large scale perspective view to enable the viewer to understand the operating principle of a device in conformity with the present invention and is intentionally limited to the selection and connection of a single contact element;

FIGS. 25 are plan views of the device in FIG. 1, and are, respectively, in rest condition (FIG. 2), in selection condition (FIG. 3), in connection condition (FIG. 4) and in connection condition after the restoring to rest condition of the selection piece (FIG. 5);

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of the profile of a fixed contact clement;

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of the profile of notches made in the connection piece;

FIG. 8 is a simplified plan view of a switching-selecting device meant for establishing simultaneously the selection and the switching of two contact elements;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an alternative of the switching-selecting device.

Turn now to FIG. 1, which represents a perspective view in large scale, of a switching-selecting device in conformity with the present invention. This figure has been simplified, with the aim of facilitating the understanding of the operating principle of the device; it thus includes only the necessary elements with a view of the selection and connection of a contact spring. The contact spring 1 is an elastic element that can be put out in many shapes, and it is constituted in the present invention by a metal wire of circular section and good electrical conductivity. Nevertheless, this contact-spring may present itself in different forms as described in the previously referred to now pending US. patent application, Ser. No. 626,579 filed on Mar. 28, 1967, entitled Contact Elements. The

lower end of spring 1 is held in adequate manner by a support 2. The electric contact takes place between a higher part of spring 1 and contact piece 3 which has a fixed position and can be connected onto any electric control circuit. This contact piece may have different forms such as those shown by the examples of embodiments included in the French patent mentioned above.

The selection piece 4, which is to be called selection bar in the present description, can be shifted-under action of an electromechanic control, not represented the figure-according to a translation movement as indicated by arrow F1. When this control operation ceases, an appropriate system restores bar 4 in the direction of the arrow F4 up to the rest position indicated by FIG. 1. This bar 4 comprises a cutaway 5 which has been realized in such a way that its two edges are in contact with spring 1, the latter getting to rest inside the angle formed by the said cutaway; this arrangement enabling to guide and to define the rest position of the spring.

To be certain that the spring rests well against both sides of the angle of the cutaway the spring is given an inclination in the appropriate direction byfixing it, in support 2, not perpendicularly but slightly slantw'ise.

The connection piece 6-which will be called connection baris shifted as per a translation movement perpendicular to the one of bar 4; this direction is indicated by the arrow F2. The connection bar 6 has a notch 7 situated opposite spring 1; the size of this notch is such that the spring 1 may be housed in it without any difficulty while still allowing to it only a fair tolerance.

Now will be described the operating process of the device by referring to FIGS. 2 to 5. I

FIG. 2 represents a plan view of the various elements in their rest position, just as they appear in the perspective view of FIG. 1. In FIG. 3, the selection bar 4 has been driven onto the left in the direction of the arrow F1 under action of an electromechanical mechanism which is not part of the figure. The spring 1, is located inside the angle of the notch in bar 4, must follow this movement, which results in an elastic deformation since its lower end is fixed inside an immovable support 2. The travelling distance of the selection bar is provided so that the spring 1 will get to rest into the inside of notch 7. At this instant, by means of an auxiliary switching device, the shifting of the connection bar 6 in the direction shown by the arrow P2 of FIGS. 1 and 4, is commanded. Spring 1, being inside notch 7, follows therefore the movement of bar 6 because of its elasticity. The selec-' tion bar 4 remaining in the same position-that is to say in a parallel plane but situated at a lower level as compared to the connection barthe spring 1 will be guided by the edge of the cutaway 5 (FIG. 1), which thus prevents it from restoring to its initial position. The shifting length of the bar 6 is provided so that spring 1 gets to rest against the contact piece 3, the spring being consequently wedged between this piece 3 and a side of notch 7; this is the position that is illustrated in FIG. 4.

Thus, the connection is realized and the metallic continuity which results between elements 1 and 3 enables to establish an electric command. If the shifting of spring 1 is being considered, it will be seen that it has effected a movement at right angles which is shown by the arrow F3 in the figure.

Spring 1, being wedged against contact piece 3, its holding condition is therefore ensured in the position corresponding to FIG. 4, so that the selection bar 4 does no longer serve a needed function. It is then possible to restore it to its initial position by causing its shifting in direction of the arrow F4 (FIG. 5) until it reaches the rest position it occupied in FIG. 2. This phase of operation corresponds to the situation illustrated by FIG. 5.

In order to enable the release of this connection, bar 6 effects a movement in the direction of arrow F5 in FIGS. 1 and 4. As soon as spring 1 is no longer wedged against contact piece 3, it is released; and, as its diameter is smaller than notch 7, nothing opposes its return to the position it occupied in FIGS. 1 and 2; this return move ment is of course due to the elasticity of spring 1.

It was seen that the notches made in the connection bar were of rectangular shape. Now, as the contact between piece 3 and spring 1 is being maintained only by the wedging of the latter-therefore by the strength exerted upon the spring by the connection bar-it was found interesting to provide a mechanical locking of the spring when it is in connection position. In FIG. 6, this locking is realized by the contact piece 3 which has a notch in the form of a V, this form prevents the lateral shifting of spring 1 and enables to obtain, moreover, a double contact. It is, of course, possible to create other forms of locking such as those shown in FIG. 7, for instance, in which the holding of spring 1 is obtained by giving an adequate profile to the edge of notch 7 which pushes the spring against contact piece 3.

Whereas the above description only refers to operating principle of the device for the selection and connection of a single contact element, there will now be described by referring to FIG. 8the application of this system to several contact elements.

In FIG. 8 there is shown, in simplified form, a device enabling the selection and the connection to be done of two contact elements at the same time. It is evident that this quantity of two is non-limiting and that the description which follows is also good for a larger number of contact elements. Likewise, only two selection bars 8 and 9 and two connection bars 11 and 12 are shown in the figure; but the number would usually be larger without changing the principle of operation of the system.

Each one of these selection bars 8, 9 or of the connection bars 11, 12 is associated with an individual control device not shown in the figure. The selection bars 8, 9 comprise openings 19, each one helping to the guiding of a spring 1 housed as shown in FIG. 1, that is to say inside an angle of the opening. The connection bars 11 and 12 have, facing each selection bar, two notches such as 13, 14 or 13', 14', for every spring 1 to be operated. In the case considered in FIG. 8, two contact are established at every connection operation. However, to avoid overburdening the drawings, only one contact piece 3 has been illustrated in the figure, but evidently there exist in fact as many pieces 3 as there are springs 1. Moreover, as was seen in FIG. 1, the contact pieces 3, the selection bars 8, 9 and the connection bar 11, 12 are situated respectively in three planes, parallel to one another.

It will be assumed that, all the connection bars being at rest condition, the selection bar 8 is urged in the direction indicated by arrow F6.

All the contact springs 1 housed in the openings 10 of the selection bar 8 are therefore driven onto the left as compared to the figure, and are housed in the corresponding notches 13, 13 and 33, 33' of the respective connection bars 11 and 12. It will be assumed that the connection bar 12 is then operated in the direction of the arrow F7. The only two springs 1 driven by this movement are those which have been put into place inside the two notches 13, 13' by the selection bar 8. The connection bar brings therefore the springs 1, each one against a contact piece 3, and holds them wedged in that position until instant of its release. The selection bar 8 can then be released, it accomplishes a return movement in opposite direction to the arrow F6 and restores into rest condition.

It is then that the notches 14 intervene, the function of which will be to enable the operating of the selection bars when a connection bar is already in operating position. To this end the distance between centers of notches 13 and 14 43 and 44' corresponds exactly to the shifting length of the connection bar. Thus, as concerns the bar 12 previously operated, the notches 14, 14', 24 and 24' have in fact taken the place of the notches 13, 13, 23, 23' which maintain the connection between the springs 1 and the contact pieces 3.

If for instance the selection bar 9 is in its turn operated,

all the associated springs 1 get to be housed into the notches such as 43, 43' of the different connection bars such as 11; whereas they get housed into notches 24 and 24' of the connection bar 12 which happens to be in operating position. When another connection barfor instance, bar 11is establishing the contact between springs 1 shifted by selection bar 9 and the corresponding contact pieces 3, the notches 34, 34' and 44, 44' of this bar 11 will take the place of the notches 33, 33' and 43, 43 enabling thus the subsequent shifting of any selection bar whatever.

In the examples described above, the shifting of the selection bars and of the connection bars is rectilinear; there results an orthogonal movement of the spring submitted to these two shiftingsthe directions of which are perpendicular one in relation of the other. However, this movement is not absolutely indispensable, the only condition to be fulfilled being to make the spring undergo two trajectories that could be rectilinear or circular.

The movement of the spring may, as it were, result from a combination of these two types of trajectories. FIG. 9 shows an example of an embodiment in which the selection movement is made as per a rectilinear trajectoxy, the connection being effected as per a circular trajectory. The selection bar 15 is similar to the bars already described in FIG. 8. When this bar is operated, the springs 1 engage into notches located on the circumference of a disc 18. By assuming that this disc is in rest position, the springs will then get housed into the notches 16, 16'. At this instant, the connection is commanded: it results into a rotation movement of disc 18 round its axle 19a movement whose direction is shown by arrow F8. The length of the arc distance thus travelled is provided so as to have the springs 1 come to hit against the contact pieces such as 3; it is worth noting that only one of these pieces 3 has been shown in the figure, in order to avoid overburdening the drawing. The discs 18 are superposed, and, in the space separating them, one or several selection bars are arranged radially. In the same way-as described for FIG. 8-the notches 17, 17' enable the operating of other selection bars when the apparatus has already a connection disc in operating position. In assuming therefore that the disc 18 is engaged in action, all the notches it comprises on its circumference will have shifted by an arc distance which is equal to the distance between centers separating two consecutive notches 16 and 17. In this way, the notches 17, 17when the disc is in connection positionare at the same spot that the notches 16, 16 occupy when disc 18 is in rest position. Thus, if another selection bar is operateda bar homologous to the bar 15 but having a diiferent radial position-the springs 1 will be driven into the notches 16, 16' or 17, 17' which are situated facing them, inside the connection discs; but into notches 16, 16' if the discs are in rest position, and into notches 17, 17' if the discs are in connection position.

There has been described above a multiselector in which the selection movement takes place as per a rectilinear trajectory and the connection movement as per a circular trajectory, but obviously the other way round is good as well and it is possible to design a multiselector whose selection piece would effect a rotating movement and its connection piece a movement of translation.

It is worth noting that FIGS. 8 and 9 represent notches or contact pieces of simple form. However, it is certain that profiles such as the one in FIG. 6 for the contact pieces, or in FIG. 7 for the notches, can be realized without having to change the operating principle of the switch-selecting device illustrated by the FIGS. 8 and 9.

The invention may be summarized briefly by stating that it relates to a switching-selecting device made up of a combination of two mobile control pieces, of one or several elastic mobile contact elements and of a corresponding number of fixed contacts. When the device is at rest position, the mobile contact elements are placed under the dependence of the first piece or selection piece and are brought, when there is shifting of this piece, under the dependence of the second control piece or connection piece. The shifting of this connection piece has then as effect to drive the mobile contact elements until they get into contact with the corresponding fixed contacts.

It is understood the foregoing descriptions have been given only as a Way of non-limiting example, and that many other embodiments may be carried out without leaving the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A switching-selecting device comprising:

a mobile contact spring having one end supported by a fixed support and having a free end movable about the one end,

at least one stationary contact fixed in position relative to the fixed support,

a pair of mechanical actuating members positioned adacent said mobile contact spring for exerting a pair of spring moving forces on said mobile contact one of said actuating members being a selection bar for initially deflecting the free end of the mobile contact spring in a first direction, and

the other of said actuating members being a connection bar for thereafter deflecting the free end of the mobile contact spring in a second direction,

said combined deflections serving to cause the free end of the mobile contact spring to engage a selected one of said contacts.

2. A switching-selecting device substantially as claimed in claim 1 in which the mobile contact spring has substantially a circular cross section.

3. A switching-selecting device as claimed in claim 1,

in which said set of contacts each have a notched contacting surface for engaging said mobile contact spring.

4. A switching-selecting device substantially as claimed in claim 1 in which said selection bar provides circular motion to the free end of the mobile contact spring as viewed from the free end of the spring.

5. A switching-selecting device substantially as claimed in claim 1, in which:

said other actuating member includes a disk-like member mounted to rotate about an axis extending perpendicularly through the center of said disk, and means on the circumferential edge of said disk for deflecting the free end of the mobile contact spring in said second direction, whereby;

said connection bar provides circular motion to the free end of the mobile contact spring as viewed from the free end of the spring.

6. A switching-selecting device substantially as claimed in claim 1, in which:

said connection bar serves in conjunction with the selected one of said contacts to hold the mobile contact spring securely in engagement with the selected contact and to permit release of said selection bar.

7. A switching-selecting device substantially as claimed in claim 1 in which:

said connection bar includes a notched contacting surface to engage said free end of the mobile contact spring.

8. A switching-selecting device substantially as claimed in claim 1, in which:

the connection bar includes first and second notches capable of receiving the mobile contact spring.

9. A switching-selecting device substantially as claimed in claim 8 in which:

the first notch is positioned to receive the mobile contact spring when the connection bar is in a rest condition, and

the second not-ch is positioned to receive the mobile contact spring when the connection bar is in an operating condition.

10. A switching-selecting device comprising:

a plurality of elastic mobile contact elements, each having a free end and an end supported by a fixed support,

a plurality of fixed contact elements,

a pair of mechanical actuating members positioned adjacent said mobile contact elements for exerting a pair of element moving forces on a selected mobile contact element,

one of said actuating members being a selection bar having a housing for initially deflecting the free and of a selected mobile contact element in a first direction,

the other of said actuating members being a connection bar for thereafter deflecting the free end of the selected mobile contact element in a second direction to drive it into make position with a corresponding fixed contact, and

means associated with said connection bar to receive another mobile contact element, upon actuation of a selection bar, while said connection bar holds said contacts in make position, whereby the positions of the remaining contact elements may be altered independently of the position of the connection bar.

11. A switching-selection device as claimed in claim it) in which each connection bar includes two possible housings for each mobile contact, the first housing is positioned to receive the contact element to be placed under control of this connection bar while said bar is rest condition,

the second housing is positioned to serve as clearance to a contact element when the connection bar is in an operated position, and

the distance between parallel axes through the centers of said housings correspond to the distance that a connection bar shifts, whereby,

in the operate-d position of said bar, the second housing occupies the same position that the first housing occupied at rest position and a contact element may freely shift when the associated selection bar is operated, thereby making it possible to make other selections while holding simultaneously several cross points in operated position.

12. A switching-selecting device as claimed in claim 10 in which each of the actuating members of the device is switched by a motion of translation, the trajectories defined by these two motions forming any angle between them.

13. A switching-selecting device as claimed in claim 10', in which each mobile contact element is fastened at one end to a fixed support in such a way that the said contact element forms a selected angle in a particular direction with a line perpendicular to the fixed support at the fixing point of the said element, whereby,

the elasticity of the contact element always urges the said element to rest against a well defined point of the housing in the selection bar.

14. A switching-selecting device as claimed in claim 10, in which notches are provided on the fixed contact elements whereby in an operating position of a connection bar the selected mobile contact element, entered partly into a notch, will not slide away from its notch.

15. A switching-selecting device as claimed in claim 11, in which at the side of each housing of a connection piece against which a contact element rests there is provided,

an inclination towards the inside of the said housing to prevent the clearing of the said contact element when the connection bar is in its operated position.

16. A switching-selecting device as claimed in claim 10 the shifting of the selection bar takes place according to a motion of rotation and the shifting of the connection bar according to a motion of translation.

10 in which 5 References Cited the shifting of the selection bar takes place according UNITED T S TENTS to a motion of translation and the shifting of the 2,456,893 12/1948 Roth 200 1 connection bar according to a motion of rotation. 17. A switching-selecting device as claimed in claim ROBERT SCHAEFER Prlmary Exammer- 10, in which 10 H. BURKS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SWITCHING-SELECTING DEVICE COMPRISING: A MOBILE CONTACT SPRING HAVING ONE END SUPPORTED BY A FIXED SUPPORT AND HAVING A FREE END MOVABLE ABOUT THE ONE END, AT LEAST ONE STATIONARY CONTACT FIXED IN POSITION RELATIVE TO THE FIXED SUPPORT, A PAIR OF MECHANICAL ACTUATING MEMBERS POSITIONED ADACENT SAID MOBILE CONTACT SPRING FOR EXERTING A PAIR OF SPRING MOVING FORCES ON SAID MOBILE CONTACT SPRING, ONE OF SAID ACTUATING MEMBERS BEING A SELECTION BAR FOR INITIALLY DEFLECTING THE FREE END OF THE MOBILE CONTACT SPRING IN A FIRST DIRECTION, AND THE OTHER OF SAID ACTUATING MEMBERS BEING A CONNECTION BAR FOR THEREAFTER DEFLECTING THE FREE END OF THE MOBILE CONTACT SPRING IN A SECOND DIRECTION, SAID COMBINED DEFLECTIONS SERVING TO CAUSE THE FREE END OF THE MOBILE CONTACT SPRING TO ENGAGE A SELECTED ONE OF SAID CONTACTS. 